Alex watched Nick eat for a minute, “Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been thinking lately…”
“About what?”
“I’m going to play, I’m following thru with my scholarship.”
Nick dropped his fork, “Absolutely not! You will do no such thing.”
Alex looked at him for a minute, “Nick, I…”
“No Alex, you are not going to play. You have been shot for crying out loud!”
“For one, I will play if I want to and two, I, of all people know I have been shot!” Alex was starting to get mad and Nick was just as angry.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It’s my decision anyway.”
“YOUR DECISION?!?” nick started but before he could finish Alex got up and walked out of the restaurant. Nick hit the table with his fist and growled, as the waitress walked by he asked for the check. After he paid he walked out to the truck and found Alex standing their waiting for him. He walked up and stood beside her, he didn’t say anything for several minutes. “Alex, when you got shot..”
“Nick, please..” Alex started but Nick stopped her
“No Alex, I need to tell you this. When you got shot I realized how different my life would be if you weren’t apart of it. Alex, because of you I see the world differently now, and I can’t imagine my life without you. I know you love baseball and I am sorry that it didn’t work out, but I don’t want you to jeopardize your recovery.”
Alex looked at Nick for a long time, he was looking at his feet, “Nick, why can’t you just support me?”
Nick looked hurt, “I want to Alex, but I can’t. I love you to much.” With that he walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. Alex waited a minute before opening the passenger side door and climbing in. They just sat there for a minute not saying anything. Alex glanced up at Nick to find him watching her. She loved him so much and all she wanted to do was tell him that she was playing again, that she had gotten her speed back, that she was going to play for the University. All she wanted was his support; she needed somebody to tell her it would work out, that she should go after her dreams. She didn’t even realize that several tears had made their way down her cheek. Nick reached over and wiped away the tears, “Don’t cry Lexi, please don’t cry.” He pulled her over into his arms and let her cry. All she wanted was for Nick to understand, and she knew he wouldn’t. It was only going to make it harder to keep the secret.
************
Nick came back into town a week later, he had been in New York doing promotions and he had missed Alex, he went over to her house only to find she wasn’t there. Jason and Jasmine were home alone.
“So, where is your sister?” Nick asked Jason
“Um, I dunno.” Jason shrugged
Nick looked at Jason, “Why do I get the feeling you are lying to me?”
Jason tried to leave but Nick caught him, “Jason, where is she?”
“I don….”
“Jason, you ARE lying, where is she?” Nick began to lift Jason off the ground
“Okay, okay, she’s at the school with the coach.”
“With the coach?” Nick asked but without waiting for an answer left.
*************
Alex wound up and threw a ball flying into Cody’s mitt.
“Great Lex, normal. Try it again.”
Alex wound up again and put everything she had into the pitch.
The coach looked at the speed gun and then up at her, “What?” She asked nervously.
“You just beat your old record.”
Alex screamed and jumped up and down, “I did it.”
Cody grinned at her, “I would love to stay, but I have to go. Is that okay Coach?”
Coach looked at his watch, “Yeah, in fact I have to go. Ice that arm Lex, then keep it heated.”
“Okay coach.” She answered grabbing her gear and heading for her car.
**********
Nick watched from his truck as Alex wound up and threw the ball to the catcher. Nick gritted his teeth and gripped the steering wheel. “WHAT DOES SHE THINK HE IS DOING?!?” he thought. As Alex started to go back to her car nick climbed out and stormed over.
***********
Alex couldn’t get the smile off of her face as she stuck the key in the ignition. All of a sudden something hit her car-it was Nick’s fist. Alex jumped, and panicked as Nick opened the door and started yelling at her, “What are you doing? Are you crazy, stupid what? I can’t believe you would do this.”
Alex was ticked to say the lest, “Stupid, Crazy? No, I just actually have something going for me and I am not going to let it go!”
“You are not playing baseball Alexis!”
“Yes I am Nickolas, and their is nothing you can do about it!” she spat at him.
Before he could say anything else she got back in her car slammed her door and started the engine. Nick stomped back to his truck and drove off after her. They were going to discuss this, whether they did it nicely or not.
